Protecting What Is Hers
by TheUSofCalzona
Summary: Callie watches as the lawyers of Seattle Grace – Mercy West make a woman leave her ill girlfriend's bedside and decides that will never be her or Arizona. Season 6 Story


A/N - Had this on my LJ and wanted to bring it over!

Callie and Arizona can't get married in Washington or 44ish states in the country. I really love Calzona fan fic but one of the things that drives me crazy is people either forget that or gloss over it. This is me trying to save myself from pulling my hair out over it. I hope you enjoy.

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The sun was out for the first time in 19 days as Callie Torres walked into Seattle Grace – Mercy West hospital. Arizona had the day off, one of the few days were one was working and the other wasn't. Callie went to the attending locker room, changed into her scrubs and walked toward the lobby to get some coffee before her shift started.

As she walked closer to the coffee cart she saw Mark, he was watching Derek with two of the hospital lawyers and a security guard talk to a middle age woman, tall and thin with graying brown hair. Mark had a slight frown in his face as he looked on.  
"What's going on?" Callie asked after ordering her usual cappuccino.

Mark turned to her after a slight pause; his eyes were a bit clouded. He didn't want to tell her, didn't want to put this on her mind. "Her partner is in ICU, heart attack, been there for three days. The woman's brother got to the hospital this morning and made the hospital kick her out because he doesn't believe his sister is really gay. Derek tried to talk to him but he wouldn't change his mind. The lawyers are tying his hands on the matter, next of kin trumps girlfriend they said."

Callie's hands slowly balled into firsts as she heard the words come out of Mark's mouth. Her eyes fixed on the woman; she could see the tear marks on her face, see the crumpled clothing from days of sitting in a hospital chair, the look of pain and worry on her face. "That's . . . that's . . ." Callie didn't have words of what it was.

"Yeah." Mark said softly, putting his hand on his best friend's back. He paid for her coffee before handing it to her. "We should get to rounds."

Callie nodded, her eyes staying on the woman as the security guard walked her out. She had such a defeated look on her face as she was taken farther away from the woman she loved. Callie felt her heart tighten in her chest, making tears come to her eyes and her stomach tie in knots.

Slowly she turned around and walked toward the elevator, everything was now in slow motion. She couldn't hear Mark talking to Teddy, who had joined them, she couldn't feel the hot coffee in her hand. Her mind turned to Arizona, thinking what it would feel like to not be at her bedside, not be the one holding her hand if she left this world.

"I need to go work on my research." Callie said to Mark, taking the stairs. She slowly walked to the lab, needing a place to hide, needing to push everything out of her mind before she did something she would regret.

Callie couldn't help thinking about the two women as she worked on making cartilage out of jello like God. She thought what it would be like to be laying there in a hospital bed and Aria coming in and making all the decisions about her medical care while Arizona was forced to leave. She thought about Arizona laying there and some family member who wanted her to be straight coming in and kicking her out.

On her lunch break she couldn't help but going to the ICU floor and checking on the woman. She read the chart and had a very short conversation with Teddy before walking outside, feeling pulled to a park bench where she saw the woman that was asked to leave.

"I shouldn't let you know that she has stabilized, that she has started to fight a little against the vent." Callie said to the woman, whose head snapped up. "I shouldn't tell you that in a few days she should come off the vent and then she will be awake and be able to kick her asshole of a brother out and let you back in."

The woman started to cry again, tears falling quickly as she put her head in her hands. "Thank you." She said over and over, her shoulders shaking. "Mattie hates her brother; she would be so mad that he is there, that he would come here to take over when she hasn't spoken to him in four years." The woman choked out.

Callie put her arm around the other woman's shoulder to try to comfort her. "I'm sorry that you had to leave. If it were my girlfriend up there they would need four or five guards to get me out." The woman gave out a weak laugh as she used her sleeve to dry her eyes.

"Thank you doctor, you have no idea how kind you are being. I have been with Mattie since I was 20 years old, 31 years. I have loved her for over half my life and being told I had to leave her side when she needed me broke my heart." She trailed off, shivering a moment. "But if she recovers I will take that in trade."

Callie smiled at the woman, standing when her pager went off. "I'm sorry I have to go." She said, walking quickly to the ER.

- - - - - - - - - -

Arizona had gotten take out for dinner, a bottle of Callie's favorite wine and kicked Cristina out, telling her to go spend some time at Owen's. She and Callie hadn't had a night alone without being on call in over a month.

Callie unlocked the door, dropping her bag. "Hey." She said as she put a folder on the breakfast bar. "How was your day off?" Her eyes were a little red, Arizona knew something was up.

"What happened?" Arizona asked, pushing a wine glass into Callie's hand after she removed her jacket.

Callie finished the wine in one large gulp before pulling Arizona to the couch, putting an arm around her. "Today a woman was removed from her girlfriend's room – they had been together 31 years – because the patient's brother didn't want his sister to be gay. Derek tried to fight it but the lawyers tied his hands." Callie whispered softly, her head on Arizona's shoulder.

Arizona closed her eyes, her head resting against Callie's. "Sometimes being gay sucks." She whispered, taking Callie's hand and bring it to her lips. The image of Callie in a hospital bed and her being dragged out flashed in her mind.

Callie knew it was now or never, she didn't want to dance around what she was thinking. "This isn't a marriage proposal because it's not like we can marry in Washington yet anyway." She started, holding Arizona's hand tighter. "But I think we should become Domestic Partners."

Arizona sat up, turning and looking at Callie. "I . . . I . . . alright." She said very softly. They had been dating a year, a little more than a year now, and she knew it was a big step but it felt like the right one.

"It really pisses me off George and I could go and get married, not be ready to be married in any way. That we could go to Vegas, be married by someone dressed as Elvis and no one has a damn problem with that." She looked down at their joined hands. "But this country won't let you and me get married, two people who would love each other like married people should." Arizona moved forward and kissed Callie deeply, sucking the air out of her lungs.

"One day it will be legal, one day you and I will have the ability to be married and be married in every state of the country my brother died to protect." She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Callie's. "I love you Calliope. A lot."

Callie wrapped her arms around Arizona's waist, panting softly as she held her girlfriend. "If we are going to do this, we should talk about what we want if something happens." Images of George flash before her eyes, the feelings hit her again when she tried to decide to give his organs or not.

"We need wine for this." Arizona said, standing and grabbing the nearly full bottle. "Let's go into the bedroom and talk about this in bed." Callie liked her idea and stood up, taking her hand.

Both women changed into their usual night clothes, Callie in a tank top and shorts and Arizona in one of Callie's t-shirts. They crawled into the large bed, a glass of wine in each of their hands. Neither spoke as they laid there together for a few moments, just being before this talk.

"I want to donate all my organs." Arizona said softly, sipping her wine. "I know how much they are needed, let them take the caps off my teeth if they need them." She stroked Callie's wrist softly.

"I agree." Callie knew what it felt like to wait for a UNOS call. Her field not as often as Arizona's though, not nearly as much as Arizona's. "And I want to be cremated; half my ashes here, half in Miami." She took a gulp of her wine, trying to stay calm.

"When my grandfather died we had some of him put in with my grandmother. Mom said they were always together in life they should be together in death too." Arizona smiled softly at the memory; her grandparents were very much in love for over 68 years.

Callie and Arizona talked for two hours, hashing out every detail they could think of. Being doctors they trusted the other would know when the time would be to let go, when keeping them alive was just putting off what would happen anyway. Callie and Arizona agreed on most points, not wanting to be on life support, not wanting to be so drugged up they might as well be dead, but there was one thing they disagreed on.

"You don't want a funeral?" Callie whispered, shocked after Arizona told her that.

Arizona shook her head, her body tensing a little at the thought. "After Danny died I saw what it did to Mom and Dad, what it did to me. It puts those left behind under so much pressure, to talk to people, to act like they are doing alright, to plan the whole thing out. I rather not put you or anyone else though that."

"What about all the people that need to say good bye to you?" Callie whispered softly, brushing a kiss to her temple. "What about all the kids you saved, and their kids? They need to be able to pay their respects." Arizona just shook her head, the look in her eyes scared Callie a little but for now she didn't press it.

Callie got up and got the paper work she had gotten. It was almost too simple, name, date of birth, place of birth, the standard questions. "Wait." Arizona said, looking at the form. "It says we have to have a common residence. We don't live together."  
Callie almost laughed but held it in. "When was the last time you went to your apartment?" She asked, finishing her wine off and putting the glass on the bed side table. "You have slept here every night for 39 days. Just end your lease next month and move in already."

Arizona's face turned a light pink as she nodded. "I was waiting for you to ask." She said softly, smiling her dimpled smile. They finished the form, without signing it because they had to get it notarized. Callie put it in her purse and got back into bed with Arizona.

"I love you." She whispered, wrapping herself up in the woman that made her okay with butterflies.

"I love you too Calliope." Arizona whispered, kissing her softly, closing her eyes. She smiled softly as she drifted off to sleep, she had never had this talk with a girlfriend before, never worried about any protection to her relationships. But she found with Callie she wanted every protection she could get.


End file.
